Welcome to The Living Canvas

The Living Canvas celebrates the beauty and expressive power of the human form through performance art and photography, nurturing a sense of body acceptance for performer and audience. It is spectacle and storytelling, utilizing creative lighting, sound, and multi-media imagery that interact with the human canvas.

Be sure to read the About page to learn more about The Living Canvas or check out the History of the company. Want to know what The Living Canvas is doing next? Sign up for our newsletter (in the sidebar) – we only send important updates out several times a year – we will not inundate you with frequent emails.

Lily Jean as Kelly in [Trans]formation. Photo by Pete Guither
We recently completed an historic collaboration with Nothing Without a Company in our production of “Transformation” at Collaboration Studios in the Flat Iron Building in Chicago.

Here are some of the reviews:

“There is strength and bravery permeating every aspect of [Trans]formation. Go see this play. See these brave people tell their stories. In times like these, shows like [Trans]formation matter, and Nothing without a Company and Living Canvas have produced a piece of theatre that is desperately and urgently needed.” – Jessie Bond, Chicago Splash Magazine

“I’ve never seen another show in which the meaning of ensemble is better represented….The sum total of their work here is something brilliant and wonderful. It challenges the audience. It informs the audience. It changes the audience. That’s what this art is supposed to do, and they do it better than I’ve seen in a long, long time.” – Christopher Kidder-Mostrom, Theatre by Numbers

“I went to see a play but I got much more! Highly Recommended!” – Duane Barnes, Chicago Theater Beat

“The power of the show is in its fiery cast” – Patrick McDonald, Hollywood Chicago

“At its core, this piece’s intimate use of light, shadow, and movement is inspired — and inspiring!” – Marissa Oberlander, Chicago Reader

“A good story makes you think. A great story makes you feel. A powerful story transforms your perspective. Nothing Without A Company and The Living Canvas latest show stimulates all senses in the visually compelling, poetic drama, Transformation.” – Maggie O’Keefe, Theater We Love

“I can safely say that not enough people saw this show. Even had they sold out every night, that statement would still be true… The characters, the tales, the vibrantly colored projections all came together to create an evening of perception-altering art that changed those who saw it. I came away enriched, informed, entertained, and fundamentally changed.” – Top 5 Chicago Shows of 2016, Theatre by Numbers

As part of the show, we created the Transformation Zine with the full source materials and program. While physical copies are sold out, it’s still available for free online.

We’re working on a number of ideas for our next show. We never have a regular schedule of shows, so sign up for the newsletter to keep informed.